Ferrybridge Power Stations - Environmental Impact

Environmental Impact

Ferrybridge C has now had an operating life of over 40 years. Since 2003, the station has established itself as a market leader in the effective co-firing of biomass. In the 2002-2003 tax year, the station was responsible for 80% of all co-fired renewable energy in the UK, resulting in a 3.5% net reduction of the plant's greenhouse gas emissions. The station continues to co-fire biomass to generate electricity.

In 2007, Scottish and Southern Energy announced plans to conduct a feasibility study to retrofit unit 1 with a 'supercritical' boiler. According to the 2007 Annual Report, the decision was taken to discontinue this scheme. As of June 2007 however, a separate study assessed the feasibility of building a new 800 MW supercritical coal-fired station at Ferrybridge, potentially with carbon capture technology. At present there is no information to indicate that the proposed supercritical plant will be built.

In 2008 the four 500MW boilers were fitted with Boosted Over Fire Air in order to reduce the NOx emissions to below 500 mg/Nm3. This technology takes air from the primary combustion zone and injects it higher in the furnace to provide two stages of burnout to reduce the NOx created.

In 2009 Flue Gas Desulphurisation (FGD) was commissioned on Unit 3 and Unit 4. This has allowed the station to reduce its Sulphur emissions to the requirements of the Large Combustion Plant Directive. FGD is a modern technology for removing the harmful sulphur dioxide from the waste flue gas created during coal-fired electricity generation. The FGD removes approximately 95% of the sulphur dioxide from the flue gas before its release to the atmosphere. A by-product of the FGD process is gypsum, used by Lafarge to produce plasterboard.